Technique for printing call-back information in a facsimile machine combined with automatic answering machine

ABSTRACT

A facsimile machine including an automatic answering machine with a voice memory checks whether the facsimile is set to an automatic answering mode, upon receiving a ring signal of an incoming call. If the facsimile machine is set to the automatic answering mode, a check is made as to whether or not the voice memory is full. If the voice memory is full, the facsimile machine sends to a caller a memory-full status message requesting the caller to leave call-back information and prints out the received call-back information on a recording sheet. The call-back information is a telephone number of the caller. Therefore, in case of a long absence of the user, the facsimile machine may print out the telephone numbers of the callers on a recording sheet.

This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, andclaims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. § 119 from an applicationentitled Technique for Printing Call-Back Information in a FacsimileMachine combined with Automatic Answering Machine earlier filed in theKorean Industrial Property Office on Jan. 30, 1997, and there dulyassigned Serial No. 97-2755 by that Office.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a facsimile with an automatic answeringmachine, and in particular, to a method for printing out call-backinformation on a recording sheet in case a voice memory is full.

2. Description of the Related Art

A facsimile machine combined with an automatic answering machine, whichis set to an automatic answering mode during a user's absence, sendsoutgoing messages upon receiving an incoming call, and stores incomingmessages from the calling party. After returning, the previous absentuser may reproduce the incoming messages stored in the memory.

In a common digital automatic answering machine, the voice memory has acapability of storing 10-30 minutes of incoming messages. Thus, in caseof the user's long absence, the voice memory may be full of the incomingmessages from the callers. In such a case, the automatic answeringmachine can not store anymore incoming messages.

The following patents each disclose features in common with the presentinvention but do not teach or suggest a technique for printing call backinformation in a facsimile machine combined with an automatic answeringmachine in accordance with the present invention.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,581 to Ohyanagi, entitled, an Image CommunicationMethod and Apparatus for Recording and Displaying Voice Message HistoryInformation, U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,907 to Koichi, entitled a FacsimileApparatus Having Urgency Message Transmission Function, U.S. Pat. No.5,384,830 to Ide, entitled an Apparatus with Selective Forwarding ofFacsimile and Voice Communications, U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,518 to Ohyanagi,entitled an Image Communication Method and Apparatus for Recording andPrinting Voice Message History Information, U.S. Patent No. 5,696,812 toOno, entitled a Data Communication Apparatus Having a Function ofRecording a Voice into a Memory, U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,236 to Klausner etal., entitled a Telephone Answering Device Linking Displayed Data withRecorded Audio Message, U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,385 to Reuben et al.,entitled a Calling Number Display and Recording System, U.S. Pat. No.5,283,818 to Klausner et al., entitled a Telephone Answering DeviceLinking Displayed Data with Recorded Audio Message, and U.S. Pat. No.5,521,716 to Itoh, entitled a Data Storage Device Having a SelectiveVoice and Image Data Erasing Function.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide atechnique for printing out call-back information on a recording sheet incase a voice memory is full.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a facsimile machineincluding an automatic answering machine with a voice memory checkswhether the facsimile machine is set to an automatic answering mode,upon receiving a ring signal of an incoming call. If the facsimilemachine is set to the automatic answering mode, a determination is madeas to whether or not the voice memory is full. If the voice memory isfull, the facsimile machine sends to a caller a memory-full statusmessage which requests the caller to leave call-back information andprints out the received call-back information on a recording sheet. Thecall-back information refers to a telephone number of the caller.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the invention, and many of the attendantadvantages thereof, will be readily apparent as the same becomes betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which likereference symbols indicate the same or similar components, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile machine combined with anautomatic answering machine, to which the present invention isapplicable; and

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for printing out call-back information on arecording sheet in case a voice memory is full, according to anembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described indetail herein below with reference to the attached drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, a facsimile machine is combined with an automaticanswering machine. As illustrated, a central processing unit (CPU) 10controls an overall operation of the facsimile machine according to acontrol program stored in a memory 20. In accordance with the presentinvention, the CPU 10 sends a memory-full status message to a caller andreceives a telephone number of the caller to print it out on a recordingsheet, in case a voice memory 100 is full in an automatic answeringmode. The memory 20 stores the control program for the CPU 10, protocoldata, and text data. An operating panel equipment (OPE) 30 has a numberof keys for setting the automatic answering mode and generating variousfunction key data. The key data generated is transferred to the CPU 10.Further, the operating panel equipment 30 has a display on which displaydata from the CPU 10 is displayed. A scanner 40 scans an originaldocument to read an image and converts the image into binary data. Amodem 50 modulates data output from the CPU 10 into an analog signaland/or demodulates an analog image signal from the caller, under thecontrol of the CPU 10. Further, the modem 50 decodes a received DTMFsignal and provides the coded DTMF data to the CPU 10. A line interfaceunit (LIU) 60 forms a communication loop under the control of the CPU10, and interfaces the modem 50 with a central office line CO. A printer70 prints out the image data on the recording sheet according to aprinting command from the CPU 10. The voice memory 100 stores incomingmessages (ICM) and outgoing messages (OGM). A telephone answering device(TAD) 90 sends the caller the outgoing messages stored in the voicememory 100 and/or stores the incoming messages from the callers into thevoice memory 100, under the control of the CPU 10. A ring detector 80detects a ring signal of an incoming call.

Now, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, operation of the preferred embodimentof the invention will be described in detail. The CPU 10 checks at astep 101 whether the ring detector 80 has detected a ring signal of anincoming call. If the ring signal is detected, the CPU 10 checks at astep 102 whether the facsimile machine is set to an automatic answeringmode. If the facsimile machine is not set to the automatic answeringmode, the procedure proceeds to a step 107 to perform a receiving modeof the facsimile machine. However, if it has been determined that thefacsimile machine is set to the automatic answering mode at the step102, the CPU 10 checks at a step 103 whether the voice memory 100 isfull of incoming messages. If the voice memory 100 is not full, thetelephone answering device 90 sends the outgoing message stored in thevoice memory 100 and stores an incoming message received from the callerin the voice memory 100, under the control of the CPU 10 in step 104.That is, the facsimile performs a normal automatic answering modeoperation. However, if the voice memory 100 is full at the step 103, thetelephone answering device 90 will send the caller a memory-full statusmessage, such as "I am out for a moment. Please, leave your telephonenumber after a beep tone", at a step 105, under the control of the CPU10. Then, at a step 106, the CPU 10 checks whether or not a calling tone(CNG) or a DTMF signal is received. If the calling tone is detected, theprocedure goes to the step 107 to perform the receiving mode of thefacsimile machine. Instead, if the DTMF signal for call-back information(i.e., a telephone number of the caller) is received, the CPU 10analyzes at a step 108 a DTMF code received from a DTMF receiver (notshown) disposed within the modem 50. Then, at a step 109, the CPU 10sets the facsimile machine to a call-back information print mode. At astep 110, the printer 70 prints out on the recording sheet the call-backinformation, i.e., the telephone number that the caller has left, underthe control of the CPU 10. The returning user may recognize thecall-back information and dial the telephone number to make a returncall to the caller.

In the light of the foregoing descriptions, the facsimile machineaccording to the present invention prints out the call-back information(i.e., the telephone number of the calling party) on the recording sheetin case the voice memory is full of previous incoming messages. Thus,the returning user can recognize a reception of the call-backinformation and call back to the calling party.

Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has beendescribed in detail herein above, it should be clearly understood thatmany variations and/or modifications of the basic inventive conceptsherein taught which may appear to those skilled in the art will stillfall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of printing call-back information in afacsimile machine including an automatic answering machine with a voicememory, comprising the steps of:checking whether the facsimile machineis set to an automatic answering mode, upon receiving a ring signal ofan incoming call; checking whether said voice memory is full, when thefacsimile machine is determined to be set to said automatic answeringmode; sending to a caller a memory-full status message requesting thecaller to leave call-back information, when it is determined that saidvoice memory is full; and printing out said call-back information on arecording sheet.
 2. A method of printing call-back information accordingto claim 1, said call-back information comprising a DTMF dual tone multifrequency signal.
 3. A method of printing call-back informationaccording to claim 1, said call-back information comprising a telephonenumber of said caller.
 4. A method of printing call-back informationaccording to claim 1, further comprising the step of performing areceiving mode of the facsimile machine, if the facsimile machine isdetermined not to be set to said automatic answering mode.
 5. Anapparatus for printing call-back information in a facsimile machineincluding an automatic answering machine with a voice memory,comprising:a mode checking means for checking whether the facsimilemachine is set to an automatic answering mode, upon receiving a ringsignal of an incoming call; a memory checking means for checking whethersaid voice memory is full, when the facsimile machine is determined tobe set to said automatic answering mode; a means for sending to a callera memory-full status message requesting the caller to forward call-backinformation, when it is determined that said voice memory is full bysaid memory checking means; and a printer for printing out saidcall-back information on a recording sheet.
 6. The apparatus forprinting call-back information according to claim 5, said call-backinformation forwarded by said caller comprising a DTMF dual tone multifrequency signal.
 7. The apparatus for printing call-back informationaccording to claim 5, said call-back information forwarded by saidcaller comprising a telephone number of said caller.
 8. The apparatusfor printing call-back information according to claim 5, furthercomprising a means for causing a facsimile machine to perform areceiving mode of the facsimile machine, if the facsimile machine isdetermined not to be set to said automatic answering mode by said modechecking means.
 9. An apparatus for printing call-back information in afacsimile machine including an automatic answering machine with a voicememory comprising:a ring detector for detecting a ring signal of anincoming call; a telephone answering device for receiving andtransmitting voice messages, the voice memory storing the incoming andoutgoing voice messages; a line interface unit connected to a modulatorthe modulator (modem) for interfacing a telephone line with thefacsimile machine; a scanner for scanning an original document to readan image and convert the image into binary data; a printer for printingout image data on a recording sheet; a central processing unit forinterfacing with said ring detector, said telephone answering device,said modem, said scanner, and said printer; a memory connected to saidcentral processing unit for storing a control program for the centralprocessing unit; an operating a panel equipment comprising a number ofkeys for inputting key data and further comprising a display fordisplaying data; said central processing unit checking whether thefacsimile machine is set to an automatic answering mode upon receiving aring signal of a incoming call detected by said ring detector; saidcentral processing unit checking whether said voice memory is full whensaid central processing unit has determined that the facsimile machineis set to the automatic answering mode; said telephone answering devicesending to a caller a memory-full-status message requesting the callerto forward call-back information when said central processing unit hasdetermined that said voice memory is full; and said printer printing outsaid call-back information on a recording sheet.
 10. The apparatus forprinting call-back information according to claim 9, said call-backinformation forwarded by said caller comprising a DTMF dual tone multifrequency signal.
 11. The apparatus for printing call-back informationaccording to claim 9, said call-back information forwarded by saidcaller comprising a telephone number of said caller.
 12. The apparatusfor printing call-back information according to claim 9, furthercomprising a means for causing a facsimile machine to perform areceiving mode of the facsimile machine, if the facsimile machine isdetermined not to be set to said automatic answering mode by saidcentral processing unit.